Six NBA Championships
The Golden State Warriors are a professional basketball team based in San Francisco, with a history of multiple NBA championships and legendary players.
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city's name before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971. The team plays its home games at Chase Center.
Quick Facts
- First championship year
- 1947
- Most recent championship year
- 2022
- Key eras
- Philadelphia (1947), Bay Area (1975, 2015-2022)
- Defining players
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Rick Barry
- Stephen Curry
- Klay Thompson
- Draymond Green
- Rivalries defined by titles
- Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs
- Status
- Active Dynasty
Lore & Background
The Warriors won the inaugural Basketball Association of America (BAA) championship in 1947, and won again in 1956, led by Hall of Fame trio Paul Arizin, Tom Gola, and Neil Johnston. After the trade of star Wilt Chamberlain in January 1965, the team finished the 1964–65 season with the NBA's worst record (17–63). Their rebuilding period was brief, however, as they drafted Rick Barry four months after the trade. Barry, along with Jamaal Wilkes, powered the Warriors to their third championship in 1975, widely considered one of the biggest upsets in NBA history.
The team struggled in the 1980s, then became playoff regulars at the turn of the decade with stars Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, nicknamed 'Run TMC'. Led by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, the team returned to championship glory in 2015. In 2016, the Warriors achieved the best-ever regular-season record at 73–9 before losing the Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games after surrendering a 3–1 series lead.
After signing former MVP Kevin Durant, the team won back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. They lost the 2019 Finals to the Toronto Raptors and Durant left that off-season. After missing the playoffs the next two seasons, the Warriors returned to the playoffs and defeated the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Finals.
Reader's Guide
Nicknamed the 'Dubs' as a shortening of 'W's', the Warriors hold several NBA records: best regular season, most wins in a season (regular season and postseason combined), and best postseason run. Curry and Thompson are generally considered one of the greatest backcourts of all time. The Warriors rank third for the most NBA championships and Finals appearances in NBA history, trailing only the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Chamberlain and Curry are the only players in franchise history to win the league MVP award, for a total of three awards.
Did You Know?
- Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, a single-game record.
- The Warriors won their first NBA championship on the West Coast in 1974–75, sweeping the Washington Bullets.
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